this time, it’ll be different
he is different
his family
doesn’t slit pigeons
for kali puja
they free the birds
who do they think they are
to hold you captive in the first place?
the birds, you mean?
Shlagha Borah (she/her) is a poet from Assam, India. She writes on dysfunctionality in families, mental health, and the intersection of the two. Her work has been nominated for Sundress Publications’ Best of Net Awards 2020 and has been published on various platforms like Ayaskala, Marias at Sampaguitas, The Literary Impulse, GroundXero, and elsewhere. She is also the co-founder of Pink Freud, a community dedicated to destigmatizing mental health in India.